Tournaments Everywhere & Butt heads

#1 posting 7.13.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

BUTT HEADS & MVP
It has been awhile already, but Zinedine Zidane's head butt was a extremely stupid move. I don't care what the Italians were saying to him. His action hurt his team's chances of winning. ZZ should have smiled and turned the words back on the Italian, or better yet totally ignored him. Let your feet do the talking. But to award this behavior the MVP trophy? What were these soccer folks thinking? Do they seal the MVP award before halftime? Have some standards and deliver the MVP to a player who doesn't cut the throat of his own team with his stupid thin skinned behavior.
Why is this in a basketball blog? To show that players behaviors do impact games and players need to ignore distractions that don't matter and focus their energy on winning. Head butts, or any other thuggish behavior does not help winning which should be the paramount goal, not some wounded personal honor.

16u AAU NATIONALS
North Tartan blitzed two teams yesterday and flirted with the century mark with a 99-53 win over Dayton OH Metro, and a 98-56 win over Orlando FL Comets Black. They will try to break the century mark today against OZ St. Louis '89.
The MN Metro Stars Black also won twice yesterday. They opened with a 71-68 win over SC Carolina Heat. MMSB was up by 10 at halftime. In their other game they beat Air Oklahoma Stars Holley 63-45. Their game today is against the Philadelphia Belles.
One more MN team had a 2-0 start--North Tartan Blue. Baton Rouge Amazons were the first victims 82-73. They then took care of the MA Lady Runnin' Rebels 77-62. I think MA stands for Middle Atlantic. Their game today is with the FG City of Hollywood Eagles.
The fourth MN team split their games yesterday. The Lady Suns lost to PV Fairfax Stars, and then beat FG South Florida Lady Jags. They have two games scheduled for today: first with the Connecticut Starters and later against the Tennessee Wings.
Wisconsin's entry the Pride split with a 68-41 win over Team Connecticut and a 66-50 loss to the Kenner LA Angels (LA -Louisiana).
See all the results at the AAU Girls Basketball site.

AAU ROSTERS

MISS BASKETBALL SHOWCASE
A wide variety of teams from the coverage area are entered in this tournament. IBCA Iowa Select I & II, Iowa Lightning I & II, Iowa Elite I & II, and All Iowa Attack I & II represent Iowa. Minnesota's teams will be Southern Minne Magic, MN Summit, Mpls Lady Lakers, MN Hoops 43 I & II. ND will send ECI Select East I & II and ECI Select West I & II. SD sends Black Hills Roundup; SD Riders; SD Elite; and Northern Lites. Also in attendance will be Daubert Pinnacle Nebraska, the champs at the Dakota Showcase. All in all 22 teams from the coverage area. Need to find out more check the Showcase site for results

ELITE CAMP OPENINGS
MN
The MN Elite camp has a few openings left for the 2006 camp season. The camp has been in operation since 1989 and is well respected in the camp circles. There are 60 college coaches at all levels that regularly attend this exposure camp. The camp is scheduled for July 25-28 at Concordia St. Paul.

It is a great opportunity to play against the best and to be seen by the best.Any interested players with the desire to play college basketball can apply to be accepted to the camp at http://www.mnelite.com/. They can click on "Interested Players" and fill out the information. The camp will then evaluate the information and possibly accept them into the camp.

TRANSFER
JoAnne Hamlin is leaving Kansas State and is headed to Iowa. The freshman was a contributor last year and was close to home. Why did she leave? Why Iowa? read more in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

TRANSFERS

VERBALS

HOPE FOR D3
Hope College in Michigan will host the finals for the D3 women's basketball tournament in 2008 and 2009. They have a new $22 million arena. Here is more from the Grand Rapids Press.

COACHING NEWS
IA
Larry Schroeder has been named coach at North Scott. He is a North Scott graduate and has been an assistant with the girls program that last few years. Here is more from the Quad City Times.

COACHING OPENINGS

TEAM SUMMER NEWS
MI
Portland is 3-1 heading into bracket play at the USSA National tournament in Tampa. The team is hoping this experience will help in the HS fall season. Here is more from the Ionia Sentinel-Standard.

MN
Rogers finished 5-1 at the Wisconsin June 30, and July 1. They lost to a Wisconsin AAU team 46-45. They also beat Becker in a Lynx preliminary game prior to the Detroit game. Here is more from the Elk River Star News.

STATE GAMES
IA
The Iowa Games will take place in Ames and other Central Iowa towns. The games start today and continue on until July 23. One of the new sports being added is 6-6 women's basketball. The Des Moines Register has more information.
ND
The Prairie Rose State Games for North Dakota will take place in Mandan and Bismarck this weekend starting July 14. There will be 32 girls teams competing. Find out more in the Bismarck Tribune.

SUMMER LEAGUES
MN
Last Night in the Concordia Summer League Bloomington Kennedy won the JV portion of the tournament with an extra session win against St. Croix Lutheran. Playing for Kennedy was Kaylani Edwards a player on the lady Suns coached by Erica Haugen.
In the Chisago Lakes SL North Branch picked up two losses and they are now tied with Somerset WI with 8-2 records. Cambridge is in third with a 7-3 record.

CALENDAR

Next up: the finals from the Great Lakes Shoot out with Triple Threat vs Dystra Engineering